Gate operator



April 15, 1952 G. D. WUESTE 2,593,379

GATE OPERATOR Filed Nov. 14, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 g w i -g ATTORNEYS April 15, 1952 WUESTE 2,593,379

GATE OPERATOR GATE OPERATOR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 14, 1949 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Claims. 1 This invention relate Y to gate operators. An object of this inv ntion is to provide in a eye 24 which is carried by the link 16. The cable swinging gate structure means whereby the gate may be pushed open and held in open position to permit a vehicle to pass through, the gate having means whereby the gate will be swung to closed position.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved gate operator which includes a weight connected through a cable to a lever and extensible linkage to the gate, the linkage i neluding a dashpot braking means for holding the gate in open position.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a gate operator constructed according to an embodiment of this invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device showing in dotted and dot and dash lines the several positions of the gate and operator,

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section of the gate operator,

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3,

Figure 7 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6,

view taken on the line 9-9 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l0 designates generally a gate structure which is swingably mounted on a post II by means of hinge members I2. The gate 10 includes a top bar l3 which is formed with an extension lever l4 projecting from the post I l. The lever [A has secured thereto by means of a pivot bolt l5 an extension link member I6 and the link member I6 is pivotally connected by means of *apivot I! to a telescoping arm H3. The arm [8 telescopes into an elongated tubular member H! which is pivotally mounted at its rear end'to a pivot member which is carried by an upright tubular post 2 I.

A cable 22 is secured as at 23 to the rear end of the lever 14 and loosely engages through a guide 22 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the guide 24, engaging over a grooved pulley 25 which is carried by a U-shaped support 26. The support 26 is fixed to the tubular member I9 adjacent the forward or outer end of the latter. The cable 22 extends rearwardly from the pulley 25 and engages over a pulley 21 which is mounted on the upper end of the tubular post 2|.

A weight28 is fixed to the rear end of the cable 22 and loosely engages in the tubular post2l as shown in Figure 3. The Weight 28 provides a means whereby the gate I!) will be constantly urged to a closed position.

The inner member l8 which is slidable in the outer member l9 has fixed thereto a key 29 which loosely engages in the longitudinally extending slot 30 formed in the upper side of the tubular member l9. The key 29 is adapted, as will be hereinafter described, to provide a means whereby the gate ID will be frictionally held in open position.

A brake member generally designated as 3| is mounted between the U-shaped support 26 and includes a cylinder 32 which has fixed thereto a downwardly extending key engagingmember 33. The key engaging member 33 loosely engages in the slot 30 and is adapted to be moved upwardly by the sloping or cam surface '34 at the forward portion of the key 29.

A piston 35 is disposed within the cylinder 32 and is fixed to a depending rod 35 which is secured to the bight of the inverted U-shaped member 26. A spring 31 is interposed between the lower side of the piston 35 and the lower head or wall of the cylinder 32, and constantly urges the cylinder downwardly to braking position. The cylinder 32 with the piston 35 constitutes a dashpot which is adapted to retard the upward movement of cylinder 32 under the action of the cam surface 34. The piston 35 is formed with a relatively small opening 38 whereby the air or liquid within the cylinder '32 may be permitted to flowto either end of the cylinder 32 and the size of the small' opening predetermines the length of time the gate will remain in the open position.

The gate Ill is adapted to be releasably locked in it closed position with the lever arms l4 and I6 in alignment with the telescoped members l8 and I9, by means of a releasable latch structure which includes an inverted U-shaped keeper 39 Which is carried by the extension link It adjacent the forward end of the latter.

A locking bolt 40 is fixed to a depending latch operating lever 4| pivotally mounted as at 42 on the lever 14. A spring 43 is secured between the lower end of the latching lever 41 and the pivot bolt 15.

A pair of forwardly divergent cables 44 are secured to the lower portion of latch lever 4| and are also secured to the opposite ends of a horizontally disposed bar 45 which is fixedly secured to the upper end of the gate post I2. The keeper 39 also includes a pair of oppositely extending wings 46 against one of which the bolt 40 is adapted to initially engage at the time the gate is moving to a closed position, and extension link I6 is swinging to a position aligning with lever l4 and telescoping lever members l8 and I9.

In the use and operation of this gate structure, the gate 10 is adapted to be pushed from a closed position shown in full lines in Figure 2, to an open position. As gate l moves to a point substantially 45 out of closed position, latching bolt 40 will be pulled by one of the latch operating cables 44 to a released position with respect to keeper 39. With latch member 40 in released position, extension link I6 is free to pivot on pivot bolt [5 and will then swing to a position in $3 5 substantial alignment with extension lever members l8 and [9. When gate I0 is swung to a full open position, key or cam member 29 will force dashpot cylinder 32 upwardly and the friction between brake member 33 and cam member 2%5 will overcome the pull of weight 28 and thereby hold the gate in open position. The gate may be closed by pulling the gate from the dotted line position shown in Figure 2 to a slight angle'from the full open position so that cam member 29 will be released from dashpot or brake structure 31. When cam member 29 is disengaged from the dashpot 3|, weight 28 will then pull gate [0 to a closed position and as gate l0 nears a closed position, locking bolt 40 will engage an adjacent wing 46 carried by keeper 39 and will slide along this wing 46 until levers l4 and I6 are in alignment with telescoping levers I 8 and I9.

I do not mean to confine myself to the exact details of construction herein disclosed but claim all variations falling within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a swinging gate, a link, a lever pivotally connected adjacent one end to said link and ex- I tending from said link, an extensible lever pivotally connected at one end thereof to the other end of said link, a post spaced from said gate, means pivotally securing said extensible lever to 'said post, releasable latching means for holding said firstmentioned lever and said link in alignone of said pair of telescoping members to said" extension member, a post, means pivotally securing the other one of said pair of telescoping members to said post, releasable latching means for holding said extension member in alignment with said lever for at least a portion of the swinging movement of said lever, said latching means being so constructed and arranged that said extension member may swing relative to said lever when the latter has swung with the gate to partly open position, and means constantly urging said gate to closed position.

3. In a swinging gate, a link, a lever pivotally connected adjacent one end to said link and extending from said link, an extensible lever pivotally connected at one end thereof to the other end of said link, a post spaced from said gate, means pivotally securing said extensible lever to said post, releasable latching means for holding said first mentioned lever and said link in alignment to thereby maintain the gate closed, brake means for holding said gate in open position, and means constantly urging the gate to closed position.

4. In a swinging gate, a lever fixed at one end to said gate with an opposite end extended therefrom, an extension member pivotally carried by the opposite end of said lever, a pair of telescoping members, mean pivotally connecting one of said pair of telescoping members to said extension member, a post, means pivotally securing the other one of said pair of telescoping members to said post, releasable latching means for holding said extension member in alignment with said lever for at least a portion of the swinging movement of said lever, said latching means bein so constructed and arranged that said extension member may swing relative to said lever when the latter has swung with the gate to partly open position, brake means engaging between said telescoping members for holding said gate in open position, and means constantly urging said gate to closed position.

5. In a swinging gate, a lever fixed at one end to said gate with an opposite end extended therefrom, an extension member pivotally carried by the opposite end of said lever, a pair of telescoping members, means pivotally connecting one of said pair of telescoping members to said extension member, a post, means pivotally securing the other one of said pair of telescoping members to said post, releasable latching means for holding said extension member in alignment with said lever for at least a portion of the swinging movement of said lever, said latching means being so constructed and arranged that said extension member may swing relatively to said lever when the latter has swung with the gate to partly open position, a dashpot carried by one of said pair of telescoping members, a cam carried by the other one of said pair of telescoping members engageable with said dashpot when the gate is in open position and said pair of members are in extended position to thereby frictionally hold the gate in open position, and means constantly urging said gate to closed position.

GUS D.'WUESTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 189,814 Tinsley Apr. 1'7, 1877 827,771 Worland Aug. 7, 1906 907,924 Watson Dec. 29, 1903 1,171,692 Benigar Feb. 15, 1916 

